Acoustic emission vis-à-vis electrochemical techniques for corrosion monitoring of reinforced concrete element

Corrosion of steel reinforcement and subsequent cracking of concrete is a major cause for deterioration of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. For safety of structures early detection of deterioration by means of non-destructive testing is the need of the day. Comparative study of acoustic emission (AE) and electrochemical techniques for an experimental investigation of corrosion of steel embedded in concrete is presented here. The results show two stages of corrosion process and also indicate that, cumulative signal strength can be used as a promising parameter of AE technique to monitor progress of damage in RC due to corrosion.